Electric battery



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its t la La liza ERNEST AUGUSTE GEQRGE STREET, OF LEVALLOIS-PERRET, FRNCE, ASSG'NOR T0 SOCT ANONYME LE CARBONE, OF LEVALLOIS-PERRET, FRANCE.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

Application led June 30, 1922. Serial No. 571,940'5.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be -it known that l, ERNEST AUcUs'rn GEORGE STREET, of l2 and 33 Rue de Lorraine, Levallois-Perret, Seine, in the Republic of France, have invented Electric Batteries, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.,

This invention has tor its object to furnish a type of electric battery capable of concentrating and localizing the precipitates and insoluble products formed in the course of its operation.

'This localized concentration does away With the crystallizations and sediments which are formed in the ordinary batteries and .hinder the proper circulation of the electrolyte. By doing away with these crystallizations and sediments, the action of the electrolyte is more complete and the efficiency of the battery is thus increased.

The type subject matter of this invention, moreover, eilects, in the course of its operation, the regeneration of the electrolyte.

This type of battery is essentially characterized by the special constitution of its positive electrode. r

This positive electrode substantially comprises:

(a) A porous body which is a conductor of electricity, for instance an agglomerato of charcoal, capable of adsorbing or of ab sorbing the gases generated by the chemical reactions produced in the element.

(o) A carbon stick (which is a good conductor of electricit passing through the conducting porous ody) extending above and below the latter, the upper free endof this conductinf carbon stick being exposed to the atmosphere and its lower end extend ing downwardly almost to the bottom of the vessel containing the electrolyte.

(c) A coating of colloidal or gelatinous material covering the surface of the portion of the porous electrolyte, this coating being adapted to prevent the access of Water into the pores of the porous body Without hovever checking the passage of the reaction gases.

The portion of the vconducting carbon stick extending below the porous body and immersed in the electrolyte is also covered on a portion ot its height with a colloidal on gelatinous coating or with an insulating coating, the lower enel of the stick being or" electric battery forming the body immersed .in the.

then coated, so as to the electrolyte.

The negative electrode is constituted by Zinc oriotliei metal suitable for the electrolyte used. ln this type of battery, the precipitated or insoluble products which are formed in the course ol its operation collect on the lower end ot' the conducting carbon sticl; in electric contact with the electrolyte.

ln order that the invention may be clearly understood it will be described hereafter, by way of example, in the case of its application to a battery, the exciting liquid ot which is chlorhydrate ot ammonia,-reLtcrence being had to the ing in which:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of one :form of the battery.

Fig. 2 is a similar vieu' of a inoditication.

ln theA battery illustrated in Fig. l, the positive electrode comprises a central carbon stick a, which is a good conductor of electricity, and 'carries a conducting porous body Z) constituted, for instance, by an aggloinerate of charcoal. The height of this body is smaller than that of the conducting carbon stick a and the latter extends above and below the porous body b.

The upper tree end or the central carbon stick a and the upper part of the porous body Z1 extend above the electrolyte a so as to be in contact with the atmosphere A coating c of colloidal in :irri-ai, sini ilar to the jelly generallyl u el lixing agent in dry batteries, covers all the surface of the porous body o, capable cgt being in contact with the electrolyte and coyers also, on a portion of its height, the part of the central carbon stick a immersed in the electrolyte, as shown in Fig. l. This coating terminates at a certain distance from the lower end of this portion of the carbon stick a so that the end al'of the latter remains bare and is in direct contact with the electrolyte. v

The lower free end of the conducting carbon stick o extends downwardly Within a short distance of the bottom of the vessel al containing the electrolyte c, which is constituted by chlorhydrate of ammonia in the example described, as above stated.

The negative electrode is constituted in the ordinary manner. for instance by a cv lindrical strip of zinc f.

be indirect Contact with accompanying drawllli lll@

The electrodes are supported by any suitable device.

During the normal operation of the battery, the zinc is attacked in the usual way by the chlorhydrate ot ammonia; zinc chloride is formed and ammonia and hydrogen are evolved, the Zinc chloride tending, by gravity, to collect at the bottom ot' the vessel d, whilst the ammonia and hydrogen pass through the colloidal coating c and are absorbed by the porous body t).

In these conditions, the central conducting carbon stick o has its lowei end in direct contact with a solution containing zinc chloride and its portion in contact with the porous body in an armnoniacal medium. An electric couple is thus formed, which is short-circuited through the central carbon stick o and the electrolyte. This couple decomposes the zine chloride, Vforming chlorhydrate ot ammonia which thus regencrates the electrolyte and precipitates the nine, thus set tree, on the lower end r1.1 ot the central carbon stick n..

Fig. 2 shows a n'ioditication in which the cent al conducting carbon stick u. Yis completely out otl contact with the electrolyte and is immersed in mercury f/ with which its lower end o1 is in electric contact. ln this case, the insoluble materials contained in the electrolyte or the precipitates fformed collect by means ot the electric couple formed as above stated, at the surface ot the mercury and there totally or partially dissolve.

The present invention gives therefore the followingresults:

l. The concentration and localization of the insoluble products and precipitates termed in the course ot' the operation of the battery.

2. The regeneration ot` the electrolyte.

It is to be understood that the two methods ot construction above described are given by way ot example only and that thel taining an electrolyte, a positive electrode including a conducting porous body, a central conducting carbon stiel; extending th'rough the porous body and having one ot its ends exposed to the atmosphere and its other end located in close proximity to the bottom ot said vessel, said porous body having its lower portion extendinginto said electrolyte, a coating of colloidal material covering the surface of the portion of the. porous body immersed in the electrolyte and also covering the portion ot the carbon stick extending below the porous body, on a portion ot' the height o' said stick, the lower end ot said stick being uncoated and being in electric contact with the electrolyte, and a negative electrode extending` into said electrolyte, the whole combined in such a manner that the precipitates and insoluble products formed in the course ot the operation ot the battery collect on the lower end ot the carbon stick.

2. battery as claimed in claim l in which the porous body consists ot an agglomerato ot charcoal.

7. A battery as claimed in claim l in which the negative electrode is'ot annular form and surrounds the porous body.

et. A battery as claimed in claim l including a layer ot mercury arranged in the lower portion of said vessel below thel elec-- trolyte and contacting directly with the lower end ot' the carbon stick.

5. An electric battery includinga vessel containing a layer ot mercury, an electrolyte arranged in the vessel above the mercury, a carbon'stiek having its lower end submerged in said mercury and its upper end extending above the electrolyte and exposed to the atmosphere, a porous body surrounding said stichr and partially submerged in said electrolyte, a coatingr ot eolloidal material surrounding the submerged portion of the porous body and the portion .ot said stiel; which extends between the po- 'ot' the. elta-trolyle. signed by me this day ot June. i922.

ERNEST AUGUSTE Glilttll. STREET.

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